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Saturday, July 28, 2018

COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / REMARKABLE OWNERS OF UTC’S LA COLOMBE

La Colombe founder Todd Carmichael and his wife singer-songwriter Lauren Hart, and two of their kids at the March for Our Lives.  Our kids, along with millions of other young people, are going to use their voices and their power to vote. It might not be today or in November, but they will replace us, the grownups who have gotten this so wrong.

GUEST BLOG By Todd Carmichael & Lauren Hart, La Colombe Coffee

Our four kids all were born in what the president would describe as a “shithole country,” Ethiopia, the birthplace of man, an ancient and beautiful culture. One that has survived for thousands of years. Some people might believe we have nothing to learn from Africa or our children, who are young and immigrants.

Ethiopia has struggled with climate, famine, and conflict, but there is one thing it and most other countries in the world are getting right:  guns.

Ethiopians have seen war at their front doorstep and still do not rely on guns to defend themselves. You see, Ethiopia has common sense civilian gun laws, regulations much more sane than ours. We can learn from Ethiopia, and we can learn from our children.

We get teary-eyed at most things our kids do, knowing the journey they have made, the odds they have beaten and the pain they have been through. We marvel at their absolute resilience, strength, and wisdom on what is right and what is wrong.

Newest link in the 30+ unit chain now in the revamped University Towne Centre mall in San Diego.
Simple things like watching them walk into school with their backpacks, playing with their friends, and attending school conferences move our emotions to the point a lot of people might not get.

You can imagine our pride in watching our daughters take part in the “March for Our Lives.” Their confidence and voices loud and clear, doing what they do best: defying the odds.

In the past, adults have let these kids down, but they have made the journey halfway around the world for a better life, and it is unconscionable that the country that is supposed to lead the free world is failing so miserably when it comes to gun violence.

We watch as our elected leaders actively work to do nothing and kick the can down the road, but here’s a fact:  Our kids are on that road. They are standing right in the middle.

Saturday they walked with thousands of other young people who know this isn’t about a political party, red and blue, or the Constitution. They know it is about our respect for life, our morality, our identity as human beings. They speak in simple truths, telling it like it is in a way adults have forgotten. They will not be silent, they are not afraid, and they will not just go away.

So before you say something stupid like “if it’s so great there, why don’t you go back to Africa,” which is the heart of our greatest debate, or “you’re too young to understand,” remember all of our children are Americans. The government has sworn to protect all of its citizens. They must be held accountable. They must keep them safe, especially kids who look like ours, who have been discounted time and time again. Enough is enough. It is far past time for action    it is time for reform.  The kids aren’t asking, they demand it. They will be heard.  Our kids, along with millions of other young people,  are going to use their voices and their power to vote. It might not be today or in November, but they will replace us, the grownups who have gotten this so wrong.

New La Colombe cafe in San Diego's University Towne Center.   Photo: Phyllis Shess, PillartoPost.org

 ABOUT LA COLOMBE
La Colombe (www.lacolombe.com) is a considered one of the pioneers of the third wave of coffee, it provides signature classic
blends and exceptional single-origin coffees to cafés, hotels, restaurants, and retailers around the world. The company owns and operates 30 cafés in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, La Jolla (UTC) and Washington, D.C. – with additional locations and new markets scheduled to open this year.

THE FOUNDERS.

Todd Carmichael, right with J.P. Iberti

TODD CARMICHAEL.
Fueled by Todd’s passion to push the U.S. coffee scene forward, La Colombe sits at the forefront of the ethical trade movement and regularly dabbles in new terrain, inventing ground-breaking new brewing devices and beverages, such as the first ever Draft Latte. He is also the host of two Travel Channel series, Dangerous Grounds and Uncommon Grounds.

A passionate crusader for social and ecological causes, Todd has a decades-long history of undertaking self-supported treks into challenging environments. He’s visited nearly half of the world’s countries, crossed large parts of the Sahara Desert on foot, as well as the Gobi Desert, Namib Desert, and others. He is also the first American to solo trek across Antarctica from the coast to the South Pole, establishing a world record speed of 39 days, 7 hours, and 49 minutes.

Married to singer-songwriter Lauren Hart, the couple have expanded their family by adopting three beautiful girls and a baby boy from Ethiopia. Todd is also an author and contributor to the Huffington Post and Esquire Magazines.

J.P IBERTI.
Working for his father at France’s top produce distributor and growing up in the restaurant industry, JP had an idea of what it would take to make La Colombe into America’s leading culinary coffee. His experience in the high-pressure restaurant environment allowed La Colombe to quickly gain ground with some of the country's top chefs, resulting in a large and successful wholesale program.

To observe JP’s reverence for great craftsmanship, one need look no further than La Colombe's flagship café and bakery in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Industrial, modern design elements fit seamlessly alongside a custom wood-fired oven, a vintage espresso machine, and an antique rum distilling operation. The crown jewel in a string of beautiful cafes, La Colombe Fishtown is a physical expression of JP's dedication to aesthetic beauty, craft-urban culture, and timeless quality.

ABOUT LAUREN HART.
Lauren Hart is a singer-songwriter who sings the national anthem before every Flyers home game and has sung it for all pro sports teams in the city as well as for NASCAR, Formula 1, a presidential inauguration, and many other events. @LaurenHartMusic.




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